What is the White Screen of Death?
The White Screen of Death (WSOD) error displays a completely blank page without any message. It's caused by a fatal PHP error that WordPress cannot display. It is one of the most common errors and can be fixed.
Solution 1 — Activate Debug Mode
Open wp-config.php and change:
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
Now the error will be saved in wp-content/debug.log. Open it to see exactly what is failing.
Solution 2 — Deactivate All Plugins
Via FTP or File Manager, rename the wp-content/plugins folder to plugins_deactivated. If the site returns, the problem is with a plugin. Reactivate them one by one until you find the culprit.
Solution 3 — Change Your Theme
Rename your active theme folder from wp-content/themes/your-theme to your-theme-bak. WordPress will then use the default theme. If the site returns, the problem is with the theme.
Solution 4 — Increase PHP Memory
Add to wp-config.php:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
Solution 5 — Check the Error Log
- In cPanel, go to Metrics → Errors
- Or look for the
error_logfile inpublic_html - The last lines indicate exactly which file and line caused the error
Couldn't resolve it? Open a support ticket with the content of the error_log and we'll fix it.